Apple to launch iPhone 7 with 256GB storage capacity, fast charging

A new forecast coming from analyst house TrendForce confirms recent reports that Apple is planning to offer a 256GB version of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus models along with the 128GB storage option. Apple is expected to give up on the 64GB storage version. The report also reveals that the upcoming devices could feature 32GB of memory as their base models, thus getting rid of the 16GB version altogether.

Also, the display would not be a part of the upgrade line-up, so the one that’s currently available on the iPhone 6s will be offered on the next models, probably with small changes.

“The display of iPhone 7, however, will not feature a significant breakthrough. This also signifies that LTPS LCD has reached its peak in development and is unlikely to make another big technological leap in the future,” the analysts estimate.

The Plus model will come with 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and this is very likely to be one of the features exclusively available on the 5.5-inch version. On the other hand, the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 will come with 2GB of LPDDR4 RAM and will feature only a small camera update.

“The 5.5-inch iPhone 7 will be the first in series to have 3GB of memory in the form of four stacked 6GB mono-die modules. The additional memory is used to process the images taken from the dual-camera,” the report reads.

It also reiterates that Apple won’t include OLED displays this year, and will launch them in iPhones in 2017 or 2018. TrendForce also predicted no big change to the iPhone 7’s screen technology, a choice that would disappoint fans hoping for rich colours offered by AMOLED display technology. Also, previous leaks suggest a new, more powerful A10 processor and GPU SoC, and the omission of the 3.5mm audio jack. The upcoming iPhone is said to be 1mm slimmer, and house a Smart Connector at the back for connecting the Smart Keyboard cover or other device like charging docks.

While it is a well-known fact that MacBooks charge iPhones faster than a typical laptop, the leaked photos of the upcoming MacBook Pro line-up indicates that it would havea total of four USB-C ports, two on each side of the device. In other words, these ports available on the next-generation MacBook Pro can be used for charging, data transfers, external monitors and basically everything that involves external connectivity including iPhone charging.

Current Macs that come with USB 2.0 ports can produce 500 mA (Milliamps) at 5V, while a USB 3.0 port offers 900 mA at 5V. USB Type-C, or generally referred as USB-C, adds support for 1.5 A and 3.0 A power currents at 5V. With these specifications, a MacBook with USB-C can charge the iPhone significantly faster, as the upcoming MacBook is coming only with USB-C ports.

The upcoming iPhone 7 will get rid of the USB and bring in Lightning cable and replace it with a USB-C to Lightning version that would allow users to charge their phones using the new MacBook’s USB-C ports.

Since the new MacBook Pro is expected to come with USB-C ports exclusively, it would meant that the iPhone 7 will not only get a new cable to connect to the laptop, but also benefit from the faster charging times offered by this new standard.

Apple is projected to unveil the new iPhone 7 models in September this year.